Italia ’90
Ireland’s first World Cup: five games, one defeat, a quarter-final in Rome
Ireland qualified second in Group 6, a point behind Spain, with five wins in eight games and two goals conceded. Their only defeat was in Seville.
In Italy they drew all three group games, with England, Egypt and the Netherlands. Ireland and the Netherlands finished level on everything, and lots were drawn for second place. Ireland went to Genoa and beat Romania on penalties. On 30 June they lost 1–0 to Italy in Rome; Salvatore Schillaci scored.
Qualifying Group 6, final table
| Team | P | W | D | L | F | A | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spain | 8 | 6 | 1 | 1 | 20 | 3 | 13 |
| Ireland | 8 | 5 | 2 | 1 | 10 | 2 | 12 |
| Hungary | 8 | 2 | 4 | 2 | 8 | 12 | 8 |
| Northern Ireland | 8 | 2 | 1 | 5 | 6 | 12 | 5 |
| Malta | 8 | 0 | 2 | 6 | 3 | 18 | 2 |
Two points for a win. Spain and Ireland both qualified.
Ireland’s qualifying games
| Date | Game |
|---|---|
| 14 Sep 1988 | Northern Ireland 0–0 IrelandBelfast |
| 16 Nov 1988 | Spain 2–0 IrelandSeville · Spain: Manolo 52′, Emilio Butragueño 66′ |
| 8 Mar 1989 | Hungary 0–0 IrelandBudapest |
| 26 Apr 1989 | Ireland 1–0 SpainDublin · Ireland: José Miguel González Martín 16′ (og) |
| 28 May 1989 | Ireland 2–0 MaltaDublin · Ireland: Ray Houghton 32′, Kevin Moran 55′ |
| 4 Jun 1989 | Ireland 2–0 HungaryDublin · Ireland: Paul McGrath 34′, Tony Cascarino 80′ |
| 11 Oct 1989 | Ireland 3–0 Northern IrelandDublin · Ireland: Ronnie Whelan 43′, Tony Cascarino 47′, Ray Houghton 57′ |
| 15 Nov 1989 | Malta 0–2 IrelandAttard · Ireland: John Aldridge 30′, John Aldridge 68′ (pen) |
The finals, Italy
| Date | Game |
|---|---|
| 11 Jun 1990 | Ireland 1–1 EnglandCagliari · Ireland: Kevin Sheedy 73′ · England: Gary Lineker 8′ |
| 17 Jun 1990 | Ireland 0–0 EgyptPalermo |
| 21 Jun 1990 | Ireland 1–1 NetherlandsPalermo · Ireland: Niall Quinn 71′ · Netherlands: Ruud Gullit 10′ |
| 25 Jun 1990 | Ireland 0–0 Romania (won on penalties)Genoa |
| 30 Jun 1990 | Italy 1–0 IrelandRome · Italy: Salvatore Schillaci 38′ |
Group F, final table
| Team | P | W | D | L | F | A | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| England | 3 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 4 |
| Ireland | 3 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 3 |
| Netherlands | 3 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 3 |
| Egypt | 3 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 |
Two points for a win. Ireland and the Netherlands finished level on every count; lots decided second and third, and both went through.
The squad
| No. | Pos | Player | Club | Caps |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | GK | Packie Bonner | Celtic | 38 |
| 2 | DF | Chris Morris | Celtic | 21 |
| 3 | DF | Steve Staunton | Liverpool | 13 |
| 4 | DF | Mick McCarthy (captain) | Millwall | 42 |
| 5 | DF | Kevin Moran | Blackburn Rovers | 55 |
| 6 | MF | Ronnie Whelan | Liverpool | 38 |
| 7 | DF | Paul McGrath | Aston Villa | 36 |
| 8 | MF | Ray Houghton | Liverpool | 29 |
| 9 | FW | John Aldridge | Real Sociedad | 30 |
| 10 | FW | Tony Cascarino | Aston Villa | 21 |
| 11 | MF | Kevin Sheedy | Everton | 28 |
| 12 | DF | David O'Leary | Arsenal | 51 |
| 13 | MF | Andy Townsend | Norwich City | 12 |
| 14 | DF | Chris Hughton | Tottenham Hotspur | 50 |
| 15 | FW | Bernie Slaven | Middlesbrough | 4 |
| 16 | MF | John Sheridan | Sheffield Wednesday | 8 |
| 17 | FW | Niall Quinn | Manchester City | 15 |
| 18 | FW | Frank Stapleton | Blackburn Rovers | 71 |
| 19 | FW | David Kelly | Leicester City | 6 |
| 20 | FW | John Byrne | Le Havre | 19 |
| 21 | MF | Alan McLoughlin | Swindon Town | 1 |
| 22 | GK | Gerry Peyton | AFC Bournemouth | 28 |
Caps as they stood when the tournament began. Manager: Jack Charlton.